Smoking divers

[annie]

Good on you Jive Turkey

>>I'm hoping the depressing feeling of a life without cigarettes is going to go away.<<

Of course it will and you know that as well. It'll transform into a great feeling of achievement. Keep thinking of how much money you'll save! And what you'll do with it!

 

[Diversauras]

But am an ex-smoker of some years now, and agree that professional divemasters and instructors that smoke have less credibility and I agree that obesity is as much of an issue in reality.

The sport is physical and maybe there should be some minimum level of fitness maintained by the pros. If an instructor could no longer swim the injured diver to the exit, like in a rescue class, should they be teaching?

 

[OglalaDiver]

Very interesting thread here. Ive been a smoker for about 15 years. In the process of quitting as we speak. Im going the Zyban route. I have not yet quit all together, but have cut WAYYYYY back and am on the way to being done totally. Zyban (or Wellbutrin) really helps with the edginess and depression. But you have to have it in your head that you ARE going to quit.

 

[bwerb]

I find it so curious that almost every smoker I have ever met has "quitting smoking" as one of their goals. Even in the few posts already on this thread smokers are mentioning quitting.

As smokers, don't you feel immensely p'd-off that you have become addicted to a substance which not only has absolutely no redeeming health values but also has basicly made you a slave to continuing to use it?

I know it is brutally hard to quit, but don't the benefits far outweigh the short-term withdrawl/long term cravings?

As a diver, you are playing with gasses and gas laws and O2 transport in your lungs etc. as a function of what keeps you alive. As soon as you smoke, you automatically decrease your bodies effectiveness in getting oxygen. There are some really really heated arguments on this board concerning how much your breathing is reduced but I think we can all agree that in a perfect world, smoking is definitely not one of the things which is helpful for ensuring maximal breathing efficiency.

I don't know, it just seems to me that unimpeded breathing is integral to diving. The deeper you go or longer you dive, the more critical this becomes as the other gas laws kick into effect and off-gassing occurs as you surface. For myself personally, I wouldn't go in the water if I smoked. Read that line carefully before thinking of flaming me. I PERSONALLY wouldn't go in the water, because I believe that my breathing would be impaired to a degree which may or may not be critical when it really counts. This is too great a risk for ME. I'm a huge believer in personal responsibility. If you want to smoke and dive...go for it, it's your decision and your life. If you meet people who won't dive with you, they too are taking personal responsibility as they believe that it impairs a portion of their "team" and considering the consequences they have chosen that this is too great a risk.

 

[tinman]

Conor once bubbled...
... I guess although its seen as an obvious indication of fitness, it is not always an accurate one, of my main group of friends the smokers are actually the most active and I would say fitter than the majority of the non-smokers...

Horse Hockey! Aerobic fitness is king underwater. Give me any non-smoking dive buddy first.

You do realize that tobacco was originally marketed as a weight control tool, what irony...

 

[Conor]

tinman - I agree Aerobic fitness is vital, but my point is that smoking isn't the only reason people become aerobicly unfit, I used my friends as an example, unless you have met them I don't see how you can dispute my observation. Its not like I was saying smoking makes you fitter which would be rediculous.

I was just observing that the most physically active members of my immediate group of friends happen to smoke, by active I mean that they regularly exercise through one or more of running, cycling, swimming, climbing, sports etc. but still smoke. This is pure coincidence but is none the less a fact.

Would you ask a buddy for a couch-log ? Is spending every waking moment in a near horizontal position better or worse than smoking ? I personally don't know the answer to that, but I do know it is easier to spot a smoker than a couch-potato on a dive boat when there isn't a couch in sight. Would you refuse to dive with an Asthmatic who had been passed as fit to dive ?

I do accept that I am not as fit as I would be if I didn't smoke. I also believe I would be less fit if I didn't have an active life.

Bwerb - I am occasionally annoyed that I am addicted to smoking, it is a nasty unrewarding habit. The only thing that I enjoy is the fact that it takes the craving away. Giving up is not an easy task, it has a lot of side affects associated with it and is not as easy as a non-smoker may think. It is not far removed from alcoholism or other forms of addiction, in that you will always be an ex-smoker and will always be prone to a relapse. You are lucky to have never smoked.

Oglala - Never heard of Zyban, is it a US brand name ? Congratulations on quitting, keep it up

 

[Irishdiver]

I think Bwerb's comments make a lot of sense here. We are playing with gas exchange. As long as we are aware of that and the risks that are involved in interfering with that gas exchange, and perceive those risks as acceptable, then that's fine.

But everyone has to realise there is a risk associated with smoking and diving, just as there is with diving while carrying too much body fat or while unfit. Whether you choose to dive with buddies who are smokers depends on whether you are comfortable with the increased element of risk involved in the kind of diving you are doing and the consequences that could have for you, whether you are a smoker or not.

 

[tinman]

Conor once bubbled...
tinman - I agree Aerobic fitness is vital, but my point is that smoking isn't the only reason people become aerobicly unfit, I used my friends as an example, unless you have met them I don't see how you can dispute my observation. Its not like I was saying smoking makes you fitter which would be rediculous.

I was just observing that the most physically active members of my immediate group of friends happen to smoke, by active I mean that they regularly exercise through one or more of running, cycling, swimming, climbing, sports etc. but still smoke. This is pure coincidence but is none the less a fact.

Hmmm, we disagree on the definition of "fitness". Perhaps the docs need to jump in here. My personal view is your friends could probably do more for their "fitness" by stopping smoking than all their other activities combined but I'm a little biased (do a search on me and smoking and you'll see my views and perspective).

Would you refuse to dive with an Asthmatic who had been passed as fit to dive ?

Yes! I'm not going bowling here, my life is dependent on this person. Smoking falls in this category too, as would alcohol consumption prior to the dive. If I can't dive safe, I don't dive! If I was on a cruise in warm tropical waters, I might soften my position but would consider it as a solo dive and have a pony along - no, come to think of it, I would probably get my Solo Cert. card so the dive operator wouldn't object to my going Solo or just enjoy the sun.

Diving is suppose to be fun. The above factors mitigate against that for me so I would avoid them but that's just me. I'm past being worried about being politically correct, some people need to feel less comfortable in this world if they are going to change their habits and behaviours... (I think it's time I go for lunch, I'm getting cranky, it happens when you start swimming in the Old Fart pool).

 

[Dectek]

OglalaDiver.....
With Wellbutrin or Zyban you are not supposed to cut back until you are a non smoker. You are to quit COLD TURKEY. The drug is not used as a replacement to compensate for withdraw like the Nicotine Patch. Bupropion HCl is an anti depressant that causes your brain to release other chemicals to trick yourself into thinking you are satisfied and happy.

A psychologist explained the whole process to me as to how it works but I would have trouble expressing it in type.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

When you get the urge to smoke....think of wasted agony.

If I light up now then the previous day of not smoking was a waste. I do not want to waste a whole day of suffering.

Later.....you will have two days to look back on. Then you will have two days of suffering that you do no want to waste. This type of thinking helped me.
I think it was better than thinking that the cigarette I was about to smoke was just going to be a small set back. Don't set yourself up to have small failure after failure.
Tell yourself you are a non-smoker and become one. You never hear anyone saying that they are a less- smoker.

 

[dvleemin]

To me, smoking isn't much of an issue. I know plenty of smokers who are in really good shape.

A much bigger issue is obesity. I will not buddy up with someone who is obese. I don't have confidence in their ability to help me if I need help. Obese people simply don't have the physical fitness to be safe divers IMO. Sure, maybe if you're talking a Carribben dive, 40 feet down, with 200' visibility, or something like that. But even then I don't want to be the person buddied with someone like that. I've seen some divers who couldn't even do a 200 yard swim. What happens if you have an emergency and they have to tow you - would you rather have a smoker, or an obese person? I think agencies should have much stricker rules on fitness before certifying people.

BTW, I'm not a smoker, and never have been.

Darryl